Earlier flowering daffodils?

There have been several reports that flowering plants are budding and blooming earlier now that our winters are warmer
Yes, there are early flowering daffodils to be found where they are well established in sheltered spots in gardens or hedgerows or are an early flowering cultivar.
However the general opinion amongst growers and the RHS Bulb committee is that daffodils are keeping to their normal growth cycle and may actually be a little later this year. The mild Autumn did have an impact because daffodils are stimulated into growth by a cold spell.
Will they catch up? Anyone who has found a bag of daffodil bulbs languishing in their garden shed will know that even if they are planted in January they are likely to flower around the same time as September planted bulbs. Light levels, moisture, temperature and the division and colour of the bulbs can all affect  how a daffodil grows and flowers so the situation can change.
Foliage this year in the south west looks healthy and all set for a good display.
Photographs of daffodils in flower are welcome at Click to send email: title=. . Watch this space!

 

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2 responses to “Earlier flowering daffodils?”

  1. Chris Yates says:

    My experience agrees with the RHS, that we are running a little later this year. Last year my Early Sensation flowered at Christmas but this year were not in bloom until 10th Jan. Also, the likes of Jetfire and February Gold, which are usually in flower about now, look to be due in 7-10 days. It’s too early to tell about the show stock, but a spell of mild and wet weather wouldn’t go amiss!

  2. Richard Gillings says:

    I must agree with all comments so far as at the present time I would say my
    bulbs are very slightly behind what I would class as normal for this time of the year.
    With so much rain in October and November and record warm temperatures in December and a so called record amount of sunshine in January (though where I live
    we had so many cloudy ,dark ,dreary days I thought they had forgotten to switch the
    lights on).
    I also believe we are in for a good season as though the bulbs do seem slightly behind schedule the foliage looks very good. I would also add that I think last years harvest was very good growth as seen by my own bulbs and especially by the size and quality of bulbs purchased and produced by our suppliers. All the best for a good season